The Big Bang Theory Will Finally Utter Its Last “Bazinga” in 2019

It’s the end of an era. Next May, The Big Bang Theory will end its 12-season run, making it the longest-running multi-camera series in TV history after a staggering 279 episodes. The final season will premiere on CBS on a Monday this fall—September 24—before returning to its usual Thursday night home later that week.

For more than a decade, The Big Bang Theory has been one of TV’s most reliably watched programs; even as ratings across television have flagged, this show has still earned numbers most of its competitors would envy. And although the series has always been, at its core, a sitcom, rather than a narrative show, its serialized stories—particularly romances between characters like Leonard and Penny or Amy and Sheldon—have still managed to tug on viewers’ heartstrings. Yes, Big Bang has always had its detractors—but the stats pretty much speak for themselves. Since its premiere in 2007, The Big Bang Theory has also racked up 52 Emmy nominations, 10 wins, one successful spin-off, and countless impressive guest stars, including Stephen Hawking, Stan Lee, and Leonard Nimoy.

Big Bang’s rise was a particularly big breakthrough for Jim Parsons, a perennial Emmy nominee who has taken home 4 of the show’s 10 gold statuettes. Even with the flagship series coming to an end, Parsons will remain with the Big Bang family; he is an executive producer on Young Sheldon, after all.

In a joint statement, Warner Bros. Television, CBS, and Chuck Lorre Productions said, “We are forever grateful to our fans for their support of The Big Bang Theory during the past 12 seasons. We, along with the cast, writers, and crew, are extremely appreciative of the show’s success and aim to deliver a final season, and series finale, that will bring The Big Bang Theory to an epic creative close.”

The race for TV primacy just got a lot more interesting. With Big Bang Theory bowing out, what broadcast show will step in as the yardstick against which all other shows’ viewership will be measured? Could it be This Is Us,The Good Doctor, or an entirely new contender? Let the games begin. But for now, let’s just say it once more, with feeling: bazinga.